Not So Different
by Slowhand
Summary: Based on the second episode of season two. An analysis of Yami's thoughts during his outing with Tea.


**Summary: **Based on the second episode of season two. A more thorough analysis of what may have been going on in Yami's mind throughout his outing with Tea.

**Disclaimer:**Obviously, all the dialogue belongs to whatever company created Yu-gi-oh. I thought if I changed the dialogue the essence of the episode would have been lost.

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"I have a feeling today is going to be.. awesome!" declared Yugi happily as he gazed in his mirror analyzing his outfit. "Now if I can figure out what to wear, we can get out of here."

Yami sighed and looked at his partner skeptically. "Now tell me Yugi, what's this big surprise?" Considering the dire circumstances he and Yugi were under and the inevitable destiny they both needed to fulfill, Yami simply had no time to dabble with surprises – no matter what fun they may entail. Wasting one day might interfere with unlocking the complex mysteries of his past, and could potentially put Yugi and himself closer to danger.

"Well, if I told you it wouldn't be a surprise now would it!" giggled Yugi as he turned back to the mirror.

Yami chuckled. "Well no, I guess not," Something about Yugi's innocence was so remarkably enthralling. However, Yami cast aside the yearn to be carefree and recognized their present situation. "..But I still have many riddles to unlock. I don't have time for surprises."

"Don't worry," Yugi winked, "What I have planned is going to help."

As they left the game shop towards Domino Station, Yami couldn't help but dwell on the many unanswered questions of his past. He knew he came from ancient Egypt because of the connection and affinity of the Millennium Puzzle, but all memories of his past were unclear – especially his origin and role in ancient Duel Monsters. His lack of knowledge caused him a severe amount of frustration. Somehow ignorance did not suit Yami.

Suddenly Yami felt strain on Yugi's body. He sensed them approaching Domino Station from Yugi's feelings of excitement and exasperation from sprinting. To his surprise, he felt Yugi tugging at his mind to have Yami dominate the body. Yami complied opened Yugi's eyes, which gazed blindly at the Station looking around for any signs of a duel or a challenger.

"Hey! Yugi! I'm not..? You can't?! This isn't a duel!" screamed Yami at the Millennium Puzzle until he sensed someone staring at him. Thinking it to be a duelist he was summoned to face, he stopped yelling and looked up to see Tea with a blank expression on her face. Feeling embarrassed, Yami stood there dumbly for a moment before mustering an awkward – but confident – hello.

Tea laughed and greeted Yami as she led him into a diner. They sat down and after a while Tea ordered drinks. As Tea sipped her drink, Yami gazed longingly out the window. He could not help but feel strongly frustrated with Yugi's "surprise." Did he think it was amusing to "set up" his two friends? Though, he did not think Yugi would do something so pointless and time consuming. He was sure Yugi's plan had a purpose and was curious to see his intent. Again, he felt Tea staring at him.

"Hey! Here's something we can do!" she said happily as she pulled a marked magazine article out of her purse. "The ancient Egypt exhibit!"

"Ah!" muttered Yami as his eyes widened. The picture in the article showed tablets encrusted with hieroglyphics. He knew the Puzzle was linked to ancient Egypt – as well as his past! "Now that could be interesting Tea."

"Call me crazy but this exhibit's gotta help answer some questions about your past!" smiled Tea helpfully.

"Hm.." sighed Yami. Unlocking the secrets to his past has been haunting him ever since his battle with Pegasus. If this museum let him down it would be very disappointing. However, if the museum did hold the answers Yami was looking for about his identity, then perhaps the truth will be too overwhelming to bear. He looked down at the table with frustration.

"Or.. we could do something else instead," said Tea sensing that her suggestion was causing Yami distress, "..if you don't want to see the exhibit. It's totally up to you!" She smiled again.

Yami noticed her smile and felt as if his sadness confused her. He was glad Yugi and his friends were trying to help him figure out his past and owed much to them after Duelist Kingdom. He sighed. "You must forgive me Tea. Lately I feel like a stranger to myself. There are so many details about who I am and where I came from that I can't seem to remember." He finally lifted his eyes up to meet hers as if he was slightly ashamed to be revealing such a personal part of himself to Tea.

She gave Yami a sad smile, but looked determined. Sure enough, she asked him the inevitable question of what he already knew about his past. Slightly embarrassed that he knew so little about himself, Yami told Tea about the connection between ancient Egypt and the Millennium Puzzle. He told her of his suspicions that he was somehow "reborn" when Yugi put together the Millennium Puzzle and his belief that fate brought him and Yugi together for a reason – to complete some sort of destiny.

When he finished reciting everything he knew, he again looked up to meet Tea's eyes. She gave him a grave look of understanding and told him of her struggle to find her purpose in life. He was amazed that she has no certainty to her future, but still followed her heart. Never before did Yami have such a deep admiration for Tea. They were not as different as he had initially perceived. For the first time that day Yami smiled. It was a nice feeling to finally know that he was not alone in his troubles.

For the rest of their outing, Yami felt inspired by Tea. It seemed clear to him that she was the only one that was able to draw him away from the troubles and questions that were burning deep within the sealed chambers of his mind. They strolled the sidewalks of Domino City, exploring shops and the park. Yami felt strongly at ease when with Tea and he thoroughly enjoyed her company. It had been long since his mind had been so relaxed and the change filled Yami with unmistakable joy. However, it was not long since they passed a game shop where a poster adorning the Blue-Eyes White Dragon and the Dark magician was advertising the chance to trade cards.

"Let's go in and check it out!" shouted Tea happily. Yami nodded, and they walked into the tiny shop.

Yami was immediately drawn to a shelf of powerful cards he hadn't seen before. "These cards are both very powerful. Hm.." said Yami with a confident expression. There was a twinkle of bemusement in his eyes as he read the fine print of the cards, planning ways to incorporate them into his own deck. Again, he felt Tea staring at the back of his head. He smiled to himself and turned to meet her gaze. She smiled back as they to the counter so Yami could trade his cards. Feeling elated both by a strange purr in his chest and the wise additions his new cards would add to his deck, he and Tea left the store. Side by side they walked the street and Yami raved about the trade he had just made. "Ah! Light Force Sword! An excellent trap card and a wise trade!"

Tea giggled. "Excited are we?" she said slyly. Yami smirked. Though he thoroughly enjoyed the prospect of Tea flirting with him, he concealed his feelings. Perhaps later when he is sure of what exactly he _was _feeling he would address it. He was confused, but cast all his doubts aside as Tea led him into an arcade. Everywhere he went with Tea was like an adventure.

As they entered the arcade Yami felt somewhat outdated, but it wasn't until they approached a dance step machine that he felt completely ancient. Feeling out of his element Yami stammered "..some kind of dueling dance game?" looking at Tea hopefully for an answer, but Tea was entranced by it.

"Yeah!" she shouted happily. "Sounds like a blast!"

Suddenly to the amazement of the crowd, the man who appeared to be the champion of the game pointed at Tea. "You! Girl in the pink! You feelin' lucky today?"

Worried Tea might be humiliated by her challenger, Yami muttered "Why don't we ignore him and go someplace else?"

"No way! This guy may have some flashy moves, but their not flashy enough to scare me away!" and before Yami could blink she tossed off her jacket and ran up to her challenger.

"What are you doing Tea?" Yami shouted at her through the crowd.

"Having fun!" exclaimed Tea as she faced her opponent.

As he watched Tea dance, he realized that he and Tea really weren't much different. She put her heart into dancing just as Yami put his heart into Duel Monsters. The fire in her eyes was the same fire that was behind Yugi's eyes as he battled his way through Duelist Kingdom for his Grandfather's soul. Though they both had a different intent, they both shared a deep passion for something they loved. Yami was surrounded by passionate duelists all the time, but nothing compared to the heart Tea put into her dancing, and for that reason Yami couldn't look away.

Cheers from the crowd broke his thoughts. Tea had won the challenge despite the attempts of sabotage from her opponent. She turned around and gave Yami a thumbs up, and all he could do was stand there amazed by what he just saw. Tea's heart and trust in her dancing abilities led her to victory the same way Yami's trust in his cards led him to victories in duels. It was unmistakable. All he could feel was deep admiration for Tea as she lept off the dance podium and into his arms.

Though unsure of Tea's feelings, Yami felt it was clear and nodded. He and Tea were not so different after all.

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